Apple has rebuffed Epic’s request to have Fortnite reinstated on the App Store in South Korea so it can take advantage of a legislative change that will bring third-party payments to the platform.
Earlier this month, the South Korean National Assembly approved a bill that would allow developers to use alternative payment options on mobile platforms like the iOS App Store, letting them avoid certain platform fees in the process.
Although the legislation hasn’t been implemented yet, Epic has requested Apple restore its Fortnite account so it can re-release the battle royale shooter in Korea when the law comes into effect.
“Epic has asked Apple to restore our Fortnite developer account,” said the company on Twitter. “Epic intends to re-release Fortnite on iOS in Korea offering both Epic payment and Apple payment side-by-side in compliance with the new Korean law.”
As reported by The Verge, however, Apple isn’t having any of it. The iPhone maker told the publication that it won’t be welcoming Epic back to the App Store unless it’s ready to “play by the same rules as everyone else.”
The company added that it’s under no obligation to reinstate Epic because of a rule change in South Korea, largely because the studio has admitted to a breach of contract. “As of now, there’s no legitimate basis for the reinstatement of their developer account,” it said.
Apple purged Epic titles from the App Store and terminated the company’s developer account in August 2020 after it chose to add a third-party payment option to Fortnite on iOS, breaching platform guidelines in the process. The two companies have been embroiled in a high-profile legal battle ever since, and recently went to trial in a bid to settle their differences.